Sorry to say this but I've even come across it in TJ. A sister here was asking for prayer for her situation because her husband was being pretty awful to her: he's a retired minister. Another guy was looking for scriptural authority for compelling his wife to be totally subservient to him. I told him that
Ephesians 5:22 was not that authority to which he retorted that Sarah addressed Abraham as lord, and so she should do the same. In the end he lost patience and gave his wife a good hiding and whilst he expressed some remorse he was still trying to justify it. For that reason the thread was pulled by a moderator.
Greetings Andy,
i am trying to recall this incident as it reminds me of one or two times people have joined specifically to make a point and/or stir the pot and have been found to be fraudulent, not even professing Christians. We get all sorts here.
I am not going to pretend that a Christian man is totally incapable of wrong. I remember a man i once met in maximum security some years ago. He loved the Lord like nothing else but he had also blown it one day and hence his time behind secure bars.
In the early Church, the Apostle(s) had to address situations and call a spade a spade, ie, make it known that certain behaviour was totally unacceptable. Perhaps we don't see that much today? Hence a proliferation of sinful activity unchecked and with no real and certain public reprimand and/or penalty, the congregations don't think too much of wrongs committed.... etc etc etc?
My previous point is [was] that a Christian does not do such things. OK. If a professing Christian does bash his wife and do all manner of evil, is it because he is following Christ? Not at all. Can a man who does not follow Christ be called a Christian?
A man from your country goes overseas and reeks havoc, does terrible things. Does that mean that the man represents your country? He may even stay in your country and do evil, does he then represent your country?
If he was put behind bars he loses his right as a citizen to live as a citizen of your country, technically, even if today's rights prove more lenient that times gone by. However, although he was born as citizen of your country, he forfeits those rights and becomes as a non citizen, not able to participate in those things that the average free man can.
A man who professes some sort of confession to God who then goes about beating his wife forfeits the liberty gained in Christ, unless he repent. Therefore, my point perhaps is that while he might have been able to be counted as a Christian, while doing such evil, he can not and should not be counted as such. We all have done some wrong or another and some have repented and genuinely sought forgiveness from those victims of their wrong.
I understand what you have written and yet i do find it hard to classify women beaters as Christian. The key here is in the tense, that being, a practicing and continuing unrepentant woman beater. Same goes for women who habitually do evil while presenting themselves a spotless.
Perhaps we lack something needed in our lives that the early church had?
Please understand that i am not pushing a legalistic barrow nor a condemnation sword. I would suggest that of all members here, i am the worst example of what a new transformed life in Christ is and do so without bragging, but knowing that i have no upper hand to knock any other man down and push penalty upon any. {as a Moderator i do the best i can to honour the Administrator and his website but i am certainly not here because i am better than any other member!}
Again, I understand your points. I pray that somehow i have made my points a little understandable to you.
Back to the thread, regarding fear, what sort of fear are we looking at and what sort of fear are we describing? A woman who is bashed at the whim of an abusive husband is not a coward because she is scared stiff when he enters the room.
A woman who lives in needless fear needs deliverance from that sort of oppression.
A woman who has known better and resorts to being led by worldly fears needs help. That is what God gave us Church for.
(
same goes for men!)
Bless you ....><>